The St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce convened a meeting at its Headquarters on Tuesday with other non-Governmental organisations to discuss the issue of crime. At the meeting were representatives of the Chamber, the St. Kitts Christian Council, the St. Kitts Evangelical Association, the St. Christopher Heritage Society, the St. Kitts Teachers Union, the Rotary Club of St. Kitts, the Rotary Club of Liamuiga, and the St. Kitts-Nevis Bar Association.
Collective decisions were taken to address the critical issue of crime that has escalated in the Federation. The representatives demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss a number of concerns. Fundamental among these were:
The need for a clear separation of powers between the Police Force, the Ministry of National Security and the justice system. There is a need for a clear recognition of the independence of the Police Force and its insulation from ministerial and political interference. This was considered to be a serious impediment to the delivery of security and justice in St. Kitts and Nevis. The perceived soft approach to crime which will not be tolerated further in an environment where there is a poisonous perception being formed of criminals having more rights than the private citizens of this Country who are the innocent victims of crime. A strong message must be sent to criminals and would-be criminals that there would be zero tolerance of crime in this Country.
The need for the public to be informed of the "deportees" from the criminal justice system in the United States of America. A data base including photographs of those deportees who have been convicted of heinous crimes must be a matter of public record so that citizens are aware of their presence, their history, and their potential to threaten the safety, lives and livelihoods of law abiding citizens. It is no secret that some of these deportees are imparting their criminal skills and expertise to our own local criminals, thereby taking the level of crime in this Country to new, dangerous, callous and destructive levels to which St. Kitts and Nevis are unaccustomed.
The vilification of the private sector emanating from certain members of Government must be most strongly brought to an end. Articles in the Labour Spokesman and pronouncements in Parliament are clearly and wrongfully appearing to make the private sector a scapegoat for the high levels of violent crime in this Country. This approach is ineffective at achieving national consensus on the serious matter of violent crime and, as such, the Prime Minister is being urged to use his persuasiveness and initiative to seek genuine and results-oriented dialogue with all national stakeholders as we explore ways of abating criminal activity in the Federation.
The restructuring of the Police Force must be a matter of priority for Government as police officers are polarized, demoralized and afraid to carry out their duties, and are often ill-equipped to handle crime fighting and the solving of crime. There is a serious lack of essential forensic tools to enable the investigatory department to perform effectively. Wherever possible external help must be sought to address this urgent problem, for example, by the solicitation of help from the regional security forces and other international crime solving agencies.
Juveniles in prison must be separated from hardened criminals if there is to be any hope of rehabilitating these young persons. Moreover, serious action must be taken towards the establishment of a specially dedicated institution to house delinquent youth who are on the streets and cannot be controlled by their parents. Left unchecked, these delinquent youths will become the next generation of criminals in this Country unless programmes are designed to teach them essential life skills, trades, etc. in a formal, institutional manner.
The imperative for heightened security during the Carnival season: the presence of uniformed armed forces must be very visible at all areas where crowds gather and major events such as the locations where shows are being held. Also, consideration must be given to mandating that all bands be in a stationary position by 10:00 a.m. on J'Ouvert. For Last Lap, it is being strongly suggested that all street jams be confined to specific venues after 6:00 p.m. Vendors should also be prohibited from selling drinks in bottles of any kind during Carnival, in order to reduce the likelihood of bottles being used as crude and destructive weapons during this time of celebration.
Several other pertinent matters, suggestions and recommendations were raised at Tuesday's meeting of the non-Governmental organisations. However, they were of the unanimous view that these can be more properly and elaborately ventilated in the meeting which the organisations are demanding with the Prime Minister and other members of his Cabinet.
It was commonly accepted by all in attendance at Tuesday's meeting of non-Governmental organisations that crime in the Federation is certainly not a political matter but rather an issue of national crisis. It was further expressed that the time had come for the Government and people of this Country to take back our Federation from the hands of criminals. The general public must also be given back
a strong sense of safety for themselves, their families and their businesses, and must regain trust in our Police Force that is in dire need of professional, impartial leadership and management, and modern-day crime-fighting tools and expertise to keep pace with the sophisticated criminal aptitudes of today's criminal minds. There was a commitment given by all non-Governmental organisations at the meeting that (a) a joint national security proposal will be presented to Government shortly, with a view to executing same as a matter of priority in the New Year; and (b) appropriate action will be taken if these concerns are not addressed in a serious and timely manner.
ST. KITTS-NEVIS CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY & COMMERCE
ST. CHRISTOPHER HERITAGE SOCIETY
ST. KITTS EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION
ST. KITTS CHRISTIAN COUNCIL
ST. KITTS TEACHERS' UNION
THE ROTARY CLUB OF ST. KITTS
THE ROTARY CLUB OF LIAMUIGA
ST. KITTS-NEVIS HOTEL & TOURISM ASSOCIATION
ST. KITTS-NEVIS BAR ASSOCIATION
